RBS (One Account) Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the CML and professional indemnity insures. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This system is the only way you can demonstrate to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their requirements, with automatic updates on RBS (One Account)’s changes. While using the tool is not a prerequisite for RBS (One Account) , demonstrating you can stay up to date with RBS (One Account)’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your application to their lender panel and, just as importantly, protect your panel standing.

COMPLETIONmonitor creates real-time alerts, automatically produces COLP and CQS reports, and will improve your firm's efficiency. It is also simply to use, cost-effective and, for many firms, results in a PII saving.

Find a Law Firm approved by RBS (One Account)

Mortgage companies frequently vary their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from RBS (One Account) are not guidelines, they are instructions from a client. As with many clients, instructions can change - and they do change, frequently:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


Since 2008, RBS (One Account) has made 324 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 8.4 days. In total, 54% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for RBS (One Account) have been changed since 15/12/2008.

To find out more about lender panel compliance,

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
5.7.1a 02/12/2016 CML
Flying Freeholds
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc One Account panel lawyers clarification as to whether they lend on flying freeholds
Flying Freehold Indemnity Insurance
5.19.1 19/07/2016 CML
Shared Ownership and Shared Equity
Contact details at The Royal Bank of Scotland plc One Account for approved lawyers for lending on affordable housing, shared equity and shared ownership and where relevant The Royal Bank of Scotland plc One Account requirements.
6.7.1 12/02/2016 CML
New Build Conveyancing
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc One Account panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
6.7.1 17/11/2015 CML
New Build Conveyancing
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc One Account panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
6.7.4 13/01/2015 CML
New Build Conveyancing
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc One Account panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : will the The Royal Bank of Scotland plc One Account proceed if the property does not have the benefit of a new home warranty scheme
6.14.1 04/12/2014 CML
Building Insurance
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc One Account panel lawyers additional requirements concerning building insurance
3.1.4 01/12/2014 CML
details of the seller's solicitors or licensed conveyancers
6.14.1b 01/12/2014 CML
buildings insurance in joint names or lender interest noted
6.14.1d 01/12/2014 CML
maximum excess re building insurance
6.14.3 01/12/2014 CML
notification of non-renewal/cancellation for buildings insurance policy

Last update 11/09/2019

RBS (One Account) Conveyancing Panel Example Support Desk Enquires from members of the public

My partner and I are novices when it comes to buying a property. Within the 48 hours our lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. RBS (One Account) have this morning contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is usual for the purchaser's solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender.

In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitors should contact RBS (One Account) and see if they can apply for membership of the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable RBS (One Account) will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.

can you help? My lawyer is advising me that she is duty-bound to conduct a Local Authority search because the firm are on the RBS (One Account) approved lawyer panel. Do I not have a choice here?
You have limited options available to you. Given that you are taking out a loan with RBS (One Account) your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of RBS (One Account)’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the CML Handbook requirements last updated RBS (One Account). even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out a local authority search.
Your search tool is useful but there are many lawyers listed near Chelsea on the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel. Can you recommend a specific firm on the RBS (One Account) approved panel?
We do not recommend specific firms as the right firm for you depends on where your priorities lie. For example you may require a local firm with local knowledge or you might be looking for the low cost conveyancing. We recommend that you speak to 3 or 4 lawyers listed before you make your choice..
The solicitors that I appointed last week on my purchase in Brighton has suddenly closed. I chose them because I needed a lawyer on the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel and my previous lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take £175 for searches. What do I do now?
Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors should be in a position to help
Is it the case that all conveyancing solicitors on the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Many lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).
I have today made my last payment due on mortgage with RBS (One Account). I assume I don't need a solicitor on the RBS (One Account) panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm
If you have finished paying off your RBS (One Account) mortgage they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the RBS (One Account) mortgage from the register. RBS (One Account),and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage: but are not moving to another property where the RBS (One Account) has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and the RBS (One Account) has instructed the Land Registry to do so The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your RBS (One Account) mortgage has been paid off.
My ex -wife’s name is on the RBS (One Account) mortgage of my property but not on the land registry. The apartment was transferred to me on our divorce many years ago by way of a sealed court order. Does my ex still have a say on the sale even though the land registry showing the property in my name alone? Will I be required to take her name of the RBS (One Account) mortgage in order to sell?
As regards the RBS (One Account) mortgage, it is unusual that your ex-wife’s name remains on the mortgage but not on the title. It is conceivable that this is an oversight on the part of your conveyancers to ensure that her name was removed or even an administrative error on the part of RBS (One Account) in failing to update their data. In any event, it should cause difficulty providing her name no longer appears on the Land Registry title and you have a court order ordering that the property is transferred to you.